Illuminated screw driver



Nov. 19, 1957 5, 009, JR 2,813,968

ILLUMINATED SCREW DRIVER Filed May 26. 1955 INVENTOR. E/wooo 5. Wow/United States Patent O" 2,813,968 ILLUMINATEDSCREW DRIVER Elwood S.Wood, Jr., Norfolk, Va. v

-Application May 26, 1955, Serial No. 511,143 3 Claims. (Cl. 240-646)This invention relates to a screw driver having a detachable handle withmeans in the handle for illuminating the end of the screw driver.

An object of the invention is to provide a compact, simple tool that canbe used in an emergency, "or where it is desired to concentrate a lightbeam at the exact spot where the screw driver is applied to a screw.

Another object is to provide a screw driverhaving a blade attachmentwith means in the handle whereby to provide a light at the tip of thescrew driver blade.

Other objects will be set forth hereinafter throughout thespecification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the combined screw driver and handle;

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the handle removed;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a modified form of theinvention with the lower end of the blade shown in section; and

Figure 5 is a modified screw driver blade for use with a socket wrenchadapter.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral indicates the blade of a screwdriver having a square head 12 which is adapted to seat in a squaresocket 14 of a handle 16.

The head 12 is held in the socket by means of a ball 18 having a spring20 which engages a recess 22 in the socket 14, as particularly shown inFigure 2.

The handle 16 is provided with a hollow portion 24 for the reception ofa flashlight 26. This flashlight may be of the structure shown herein orof the structure shown in my Patent No. 2,783,364, granted February 26,1957. This flashlight has not been illustrated herein in order to avoidduplication in the present application and the enlargement of theshowing hereof.

This flashlight is of the usual battery type and the light bulb 28 maybe illuminated by turning the barrels of the flashlight. The flashlightis a self-contained unit. The relatively rotatable barrels are indicatedby the numerals 30 and 30a. When one barrel is rotated relative to theother in one direction, it will come to a stop and lock the barrels toeach other with the light on. Several companies manufacture this type offlashlight and it is preferable for many uses because of the fact thatthe light may be locked in the on position, and one barrel may berotated relative to the other to unlock the light switch within thebarrels. Other types of flashlights may, however, be used, as I do notdesire to restrict the invention to a particular type of flashlight.

When the flashlight is turned on, the light beams therefrom areprojected vertically upwardly as viewed in Figure 2, through thelongitudinal passageway 32 of the stem of the screw driver 10 to the tipor screw engaging end of the screw driver. In this manner, and with theice ,1,

parts assembled as shown in Figures 1-3, the beams from the flashlightbulb 28 extend through the longitudinal replaced byanother tool, andthat the screw engaging end of the screw driver may be of any suitableconfigura-.

tion so as to engage all types of screw heads. The engaging end or bladetip is indicated by the numeral 34. The'head 12 shown in Figures 1 and 2can be of oval or other non-circular configuration, and the socket maybe of a similarconfiguration. In other words, any configuration betweenthese parts may be used that will pre-- vent relative rotation betweenthem. 1

Referring to the structure shown in Figure 4, this structure includes ablade 10b having a multi-sided head 12 b which fits into a correspondingsocket 14b. The head,

12b is provided with a ball 18b which is spring pressed outwardly by aspring 20b into a recess 22b in the, adapter 36b. This adapter 36b issubstantially the same shape as the squared or multi-sided head 12, i.e., it is provided with-a plurality of angled sides which enable it tobe received within'a socket wrench, not shown. The adapter is providedwith a ball 38b which is projectedoutwardly by a spring 40b so as toengage the socket of a socket wrench such as shown at 34 in my PatentNo. 2,783,364 granted February 26, 1957, and filed on the same day asthis application. The screw driver blade has a blade tip 34b. The blade,as shown in Figure 4, is provided with a longitudinal passageway 32b.

Referring to Figure 5, the blade is indicated at 60 having a blade tip62 and an adapter or head 64 rigidly attached thereto. The adapter andblade are provided with a longitudinal passageway 66, which communicateswith the socket 68. This socket may be engaged by a socket wrench, notshown, having a light source, which will project light upwardly throughthe aperture 66 in the same manner as light is projected upwardlythrough the passageway 32 in the structure shown in Figures l-3.

It will be understood that the handle, blade and adapters shown in theseveral figures may be constructed of any suitable material. Forinstance, the handle may be plastic while the blade and adapters may beof metal, but I do not wish to be limited to the particular materialused in the construction of any of these elements.

In order to set up the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2 for actualoperation of the device, and assuming the parts have been entirelydisassembled, the barrels 30 and 30a are rotated until the light bulb 28is illuminated by the battery within the relatively rotatable barrels.The barrels will be locked in position when the light is on. Theflashlight is then dropped into the hollow portion 24 of the handle. Thesocket 12 with the blade permanently attached thereto is slipped intothe socket 14 until the ball 18 engages the recess 22. In someconstructions, the recess 22 may be omitted. With the parts thusassembled, the screw driver is ready for operation, and the blade tip 34will be fully illuminated by the light passing from the light source 28through the longitudinal passageway 32 to the blade tip.

Of course, where the light is good, the flashlight may be removed fromits recess, or it may be temporarily removed from its recess and thebarrels rotated so as to turn oil the light, after which it may bereturned to its recess and the head 12 inserted in the socket 14.

It will be understood that the several parts illustrated in Figures 4and 5, may be used in substitution for various of the parts shown inFigures 1-3.

Although I have shown in Figures 1-5, inclusive, a screw driver bladetip, it will be understood that other Patented Nov. 19, 1957,.

tools can be used 'in place of the blade tip indicated at 34, 34b and62, as I may Wish to substitute, for instance, a socket for the bladetip which is constructed and adapted to engage a nut.

The above description and drawings disclose several embodiment sof theinvention, and specific language has been employed in describing theseveral figures. It will, nevertheless, be understood that nolimitations of the scope of the invention are thereby contemplated, andthat various alterations and modifications may be made such as wouldoccur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

I claim:

1. An illuminated screw driver comprising an elongated handle, anaxially arranged recess extending into said handle from one end thereofand being closed at its inner end, the outer end of said recessterminating in an enlarged blade receiving socket and providing ashoulder at the inner end of said socket, an elongated screw driverblade having one end detachably mounted in said socket, means on saidone end of said blade and in said socket to prevent rotation of saidblade in said socket, means on said one end of said blade to detachablysecure said blade in said socket, a straight axially arranged throughpassageway extending from one end of said blade to the other, aflashlight fitted in said recess between its inner end and the inner endof said blade, said flashlight comprising a plurality of axiallyadjustable barrels rotatably connected together to vary the length ofsaid flashlight, a light bulb carried by the barrel adjacent saidshoulder and located-in alignment with said passageway, relativeadjustment of said barrels to shorten said flashlight serving toilluminate said bulb and lock said barrels against further movement toshorten said flashlight.

2. An illuminated screw driver as defined in claim 1, wherein said meansfor preventing rotation between said blade and said socket comprises anintegral multi-sided head on said'one end of said blade and acorresponding multi-sided blade receiving socket.

3. An illuminated screw driver as defined in claim 1, wherein said meansto detachably secure said blade in said socket comprises a springactuated detent carried by said one end of said blade and normallyengaging in a recess in the wall of said socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,501,222 Lamp July 15, 1924 1,775,402 Mandl Sept. 9, 1930 2,134,081Gaede Oct. 25, 1938 2,493,796 Williams Jan. 10, 1950 2,596,594 Patre May13, 1952 2,670,427 Barlet et al. Feb. 23, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 378,822Great Britain Aug. 18, 1932

